Whereas Mead is probably the oldest alcoholic beverage, which makes it attractive is honey.
If you are a true honey afficionado, you will know that honey is completely different based on bees’ food. The bees tucked a tangi orange flower, or the deep taste of the heath, produced honey with a different taste. So this is where we start – with the best honey from all over the world.
This is the difference in taste that makes the taste of meads so different.
How to make mead
Equipment for alcohol
The mead is slightly simple than the beer, so you also need less equipment. See our guide Essential home-liquefy tool For more information.
- Funnel
- In fermentation
- Bang for Airlrock and Damizone
- Short length
- Big Food Safe Bocket – Make sure it can handle boiling water (C.10 liters)
- Spoon
Material
Most expert kits can be purchased from homebrev shops (a good basic home-brings section in Wilco and Boots).
- 750 grams of honey of your choice (more flavorsome better)
- Brever or wine yeast pouch
- Additional honey back-sauton
- 25 grams of no -reaz sanitiser powder such as Sarsen (sodium percorbonate)
- Acid regulator at EG citric acid 1G/ltr (5G for 5L batch)
- Yeast nutrient 2g/liter (10 g for a 5L batch)
- 2 Campeden Tablet
Basic mead recipe
Step 1: Sterilizing
With all fermentions, it is important to have a clean, sterile environment so that the yeast increases, but does nothing else.
Therefore, before you start, wash your work space with warm soap water. If you do not use it in a while, washing all your equipment in warm soap water is a good idea. Read more at How to clean the browing equipment To keep your kit in tip-top shape.
- In the bucket, add sanitation powder as per instructions on the packet with 5 liters of water to create a sanitizing solution.
- Put a portion of this solution into the demijone and to clean the fermentation for a few moments. Empty it back into the bucket, making sure that no one in the fermentation is left.
- Keep them in the solution in the bucket and clean the funnel, bang, spoon and airlock.
- Remove the equipment from the bucket and place it on the surface of your clean work. The funnel may sit at the top of the demizone to prevent dirty surfaces from touching. Pour the sanitisation solution in the sink.
Your bucket, demizone and lid, and other equipment should now be ready to clean and prepare.
Step 2: Mead making
These instructions produce a light session mead at about 4%, which means we are going to start with 150 grams of honey per liter (so it is 750 grams for 5 liters).
- Add 5 liters of boiled water to the fruitless and rinsed bucket.
- Add yeast nutrient and acid regulator, and stir to dissolve using spoon.
- Now, add honey to boiled water and shake again until all honey is disturbed.
- Leave the liquid to cool for a while so that it does not harm or crack your demeson, then move using a funnel.
- Leave your liquid to cool at room temperature before pitching the yeast.
- Start your yeast according to the packet, and leave for 5 minutes. Add to your demijohn and shake gently to mix.
- Add the airlock to the demijone, fill the airlock with water and leave it in a cool dark place where it will not bother for 2-3 weeks.
How do I know that this work has been done?
You will know that your yeast pitch was successful if after about 6 o’clock, when the gas starts coming out of your airllock. It is CO2, which is a natural by-product of fermentation, and the reason is bubbles in beer.
As the fermentation moves forward, you will see a layer of sediment construction under your kinak. It is dead and passive yeast, and is completely normal. It can be removed to enhance clarity and taste.
How will I know when it is ready?
After a few weeks, (depending on the temperature) You should slow down the bubbling in the airlor and start stopping, once it has happened that the yeast has turned all the sugar into alcohol, so your mead is almost ready.
Keep your uncle directly in your fridge for 24 – 48 pm. The cold condition will cause your yeast to inactivate and get out of the solution. The longer you leave it, the more clear it will be.
Racking and Back-Settings
Always remember to clean all the devices that have any contact with your mead.
Next, cord the top clear layer of your mead into your sanitized bucket using a tube or a piece of hose. Make sure you leave sediment at the bottom of your kinak. Little Trick – Get your tube about 2 cm from your dull yeast, and when synfrening, keep as much as possible and let gravity work.
What is a back-sweetening?
As your fermentation is complete, all honey should have been converted into alcohol. Although this is very good, it will also mean that your mead will currently be quite dry and you may want to add some more honey to sweeten it, (it is known as back-sweetening).
This additional addition of honey can lead to re -fermentation to your mead so that it adds 2 Campeden Tablet to Honey. Campden pills are made of sodium metabisulfite, which is a attractive that kills yeast and bacteria. Sulfites are usually used in alcohol and cider production.
Just dissolve your honey and tablets in a small amount of warm water, and add as much as you like in your mead. Now you should have 4-5 liters of half-sweet non-carbonated mead on 4% ABV.
Clean and skew your demizone and transfer your mead back to it.
Conditioning Your Mead
Leave the container at room temperature straight from the sun for 2-6 weeks. Conditioning allows the flavor to melt. When it is ready, transfer to bottles for long -term storage.
How to drink mead
The mead is usually enjoying the cold in general, but during the months of cold winter, especially even during Christmas, hot can be enjoyed.
To serve the mead winter, the temperature between 12 – 16 ° C will get the best taste profile from the material. Just keep the mead in the fridge, then put it in a glass and let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature before serving it.
To serve mead warm, the temperature between 50 – 55 ° C is ideal. Do not heat it beyond 60 ° C, as it will lose its taste notes.
How long does Mead last?
Unplanned Mead can live for many years and beyond. Lighter meads usually last up to 1-2 years, while classic dark or high alcohol meads can occur for a long time, sometimes in decades. Open mead should be consumed within a few weeks, especially lighter varieties.
Store the mead bottles away from a cool, dry place straight from the sun, or in a refrigerator.
Want to try to make more drinks at home? Read our expert guide …
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What is your favorite drink to make home? Leave a comment below …
